Shock absorbing fender



July 2, 1963 N. KosT sHocK ABsoRBING FENDER Filed May l2, 1961 JNVENTOR. n//cw ,w .97j BY United States Patent O 3,096,116 SHOCK ABSORBING FENDER Nick Kost, 3011 G. St., Apt. 6, Sacramento 16, Calif. Filed May 12, 1961, Ser. No. 109,772 3 Claims. (Cl. 293-85) This invention relates to the general iield of shock absorbing devices and, more specically, the instant invention pertains to the provision of shock absorbing means to be mounted on vehicles.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide an especially `designed spring cushion for the buffer of automotive vehicles, the spring cushion being so constructed and mounted as to yield readily upon slight i-mpact of the buifer as well as to oifer increasing resistance to the vehicle as a consequence of a more severe collision.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spring cushion for a vehicle buer of the type generally referred to above, the spring cushion including a plurality of springs which will yield under light impact and which otter increasing resistance as the springs Kare placed under a higher degree of compression when the vehicle suffers a severe impact.

A further object of this invention provides a spring cushion for a vehicle buffer which yieldably resists collision impacts without damage thereto unless the collision impact is of an extremely severe nature.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in the light of the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary top plan view of the spring cushion for a buifer constructed in accordance with this invention, FIGURE l illustrating the same as being mounted or connected to the chassis or frame of an automobile of which the same is illustrated by a fragmentary representation thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cress-sectional View, partly in side elevation and frame structure as shown in FIG- URE l, FIGURE 2 being taken substantially on the horizontal plane of line 2 2 of FIGURE l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of the spring `cushion for a buffer, FIGURE 3 illustrating the resilient means employed to permit the bulfer to yield under impact, FIGURE 3 being taken substantially on the horizontal plane of line 3 3 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a detail cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship of the component parts of the spring cushion for a buffer under conditions of no impact, FIG- URE 4 being taken substantially on the horizontal plane of line 4 4 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail cross-sectional view illustrating the associated component parts of the shock absorber and buffer under severe impact conditions.

Referring now more speciiically to the drawing, reference numeral 1G designates, in general, an automotive vehicle shock absorbing fender constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. The buffer of the device is seen to comprise la forward curvilinear substantially hollow main body portion f12 formed of steel or other similar rigid material, the buffer 19 including top and bottom elongated ends 14, 16 which are reverted to form flanges 18, 20. The flanges 1S, 20 are ixedly secured to an elongated substantially rectangular at face plate 22 by means of bolts 24.

The face plate 22 closes the open forward end of an elongated normally horizontally 'extending substantially hollow rectangular housing designated, generally, by the 3,096,116 Patented July 2, 1963 ice reference numeral 26. The housing 26 comprises opposed rectangular vertically spaced, top and bottom walls 28, 30, respectively, a rectangular end wall 32 oppositely disposed with respect to the face plate 22, and a pair of oppositely disposed rectangular end walls 34, 36. The top and bottom walls 28, 30 are provided with integral substantially rectangular flanges 38, 40, respectively, which are connected to the face plate 22 by means of bolts 41.

As is seen in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the housing 26 includes a resilient liner 42 having an area coextensive with the area of the end wall 32 and is iixedly secured thereto by conventional means. Disposed forwardly of the liner 42 is a substantially rectangular abutment plate 44 having a continuous forwardly projecting peripheral ange 46 to the exterior side of which is xedly connected a continuous gasket 48 which engages the t-op, bottom and end walls 8, 30, 34 and 36, respectively, and under certain conditions, the gasket is slidable thereon. The abutment plate `44 normally rests against the liner 42.

Referring lspecifically to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that the yabutment plate 44 is provided with a plurality of transversely extending :divider flanges 47 to define spring seats 49 to accommodate the enlarged base ends of a plurality of volute springs 50. 'Ihe other or apex ends of the springs 50 are provided with closure walls 52 which constantly abut against the face plate 22. The Iabutment plate 44 is, thus, constantly urged towards the liner 42.

Adjacent each end of the housing 26, the end wall 32 and the resilient liner 42 are formed with coaxial transversely extending openings forming continuous passages 54 (only one being shown). Fixedly secured to the abutment plate 44 adjacent each end thereof are connector members 56 which normally project outwardly through the passages 54. As is seen in the several figures, each of the connector members 56 has one end of the rod 53 connected thereto, the other ends of the rods 58 being xedly connected to the vehicle chassis 60 or a frame member thereof.

Reference numeral 62 which appears in FIGURE 2 of the drawing designates another forward end of a conventional automobile and is employed in this iigure only to lend an environment to the spring cushion shock absorber device 26 for the buer 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20, as described and shown.

With the shock absorber or bumper itl installed on the vehicle 60, it is deemed that the operation thereof is self-evident. When the main body portion 12 of the bumper 10 impacts lightly against some relatively solid object disposed in the path of movement of the Vehicle, the main body portion 12, the face plate 2,2 and the housing 26 will move slightly to the left, as viewed in FIG- URE 4, the springs 50 yielding slightly upon impact. It will be understood, of course, that the severity of impact determines the amount of resistance offered by the spring 50, and in FIGURE 5 of the drawings the condition of maximum impact is illustrated.

In FIGURE 5, arrows denote the direction of movement of the vehicle on which the bumper 10 is mounted, and arrows designate the impact forces. Under the conditions of maximum impact, the spring 5t) collapses within the lowermost one of its convolutions as the abutment plate 44 advances toward the main body portion 12 of the bumper 10, the spring 50, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, is 'offering the maximum amount of resistance to the impact forces 90, and it will be understood that the springs 50 are constructed to offer greater tension as the contiguration of the same changes from a volute to a spiral spring.

Having described and illustrated ione embodiment of this invention in detail, it will be understood that the same is oiered merely by way of example, and that this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A spring cushion shock absorber for a vehicle fender comprising a normally horizontal substantially hollow buffer member having a longitudinally-extending main bodyY bumper portion; said shock absorber including an elon' gated longitudinal face plate connected' to said main body bumper portion, said face plate ,confronting saidV main body bumper portion and being laterally spaced therefrom, a substantially hollow elongated longitudinalhousing connected to said face plate and having an elongated longitudinal end wall spaced in confronting relation relative to said'face plate, an elongated longitudinal abutment plate mounted for reciprocation Within saidhousing and being juxtaposed with respect to `said end Wall, a plurality of volute springs spaced longitudinally of said face plate and said abutment plate, said Ysprings each having their respective bases engaging against Ysaid abutment plate and their respective'apices engaging against said face plate, said springs constantly biasing said face plate for movement away from said end wall, and means extending through said end wall and connected to said abutment plate for connection with said vehicle.

2. A springrc'ushion shock absorber for a vehicle fender comprisinga normally horizontal substantially hollow buier member having a longitudinallyextending main body bumper portion; said shock absorber including an elongated longitudinal face plate connected to said main body bumper portion, Vsaid face plateY confronting said main body bumper portion and being laterally (spaced therefrom, a lsubstantially hollow velongated-longitudinal housing connected to said face plate andfhaving, an elongated longitudinal end wall spaced in confronting relation relative to said face plate, an elongated longitudinal abutment plate disposed within said housing for reciprocation therein toward and away from said face plate,` said abutP ment plate having a Vcontinuous peripheral angefa gasket said face plate, saidV end wall having la plurality of openings extending transversely therethrough, a plurality of connector members secured to `said abutment plate and normally projecting through said openings, and a rod for each of said connector members, said rods having one, of

. their ends fixedly secured to said connector members and their other respective ends connectible to said vehicle.

3. Ak vehicle shock absorber as defined in claim 2, and

a resilient liner iixedly secured to said endwall and inter-A posed between said end wall and said abutment platre.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,146,9011V Petitrnaire July 20, 1915 1,372,839 Solomon Mar. 29, 1921 1,521,579 Freedman Dec. 30, 1924 1,545,486 Cotton July 14, 1925 1,605,798 Van Crombrugge Nov. 2, 1926 1,618,419 Flach Feb. 22, 1927 1,912,840 Havil June 6, 1933 Y 2,003,645 Dalton lune 4, l1935 '2,312,052 Premo Feb. 23, 1943 2,476,664 Humig 'July 19, 1949 2,593,586 Maag Apr. 22, 1952 2,715,037 Maag Aug. 9, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 380,294 France Oct. 4, 1907 

1. A SPRING CUSHION SHOCK ABSORBER FOR A VEHICLE FENDER COMPRISING A NORMALLY HORIZONTAL SUBSTANTIALLY HOLLOW BUFFER MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING MAIN BODY BUMPER PORTION; SAID SHOCK ABSORBER INCLUDING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINAL FACE PLATE CONNECTED TO SAID MAIN BODY BUMPER PORTION, SAID FACE PLATE CONFRONTING SAID MAIN BODY BUMPER PORTION AND BEING LATERALLY SPACED THEREFROM, A SUBSTANTIALLY HOLLOW ELONGATED LONGITUDINAL HOUSING CONNECTED TO SAID FACE PLATED AND HAVING AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINAL END WALL SPACED IN CONFRONTING RELATION RELATIVE TO SAID FACE PLATE, AN ELONGATED LONGITUDINAL ABUTMENT PLATE MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND BEING JUXTAPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID END WALL, A PLURALITY OF VOLUTE SPRINGS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID FACE PLATE AND SAID ABUTMENT PLATE, SAID SPRINNGS EACH HAVING THEIR RESPECTIVE BASES ENGAGING AGAINST SAID ABUTMENT PLATE AND THEIR RESPECTIVE APICES ENGAGING AGAINST SAID FACE PLATE, SAID SPRINGS CONSTANTLY BIASING SAID FACE PLATE FOR MOVEMENT AWAY FROM SAID END WALL, AND MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID END WALL AND CONNECTED TO SAID ABUTMENT PLATE FOR CONNECTION WITH SAID VEHICLE. 